


Gravity Nights

by SleepingReader



Category: Gravity Falls, The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
Genre: Adventure, Anxiety Attacks, Fun, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by The Night Circus, Like every chapter has a happy ending cause I'm a big sap, Panic Attacks, Pines Family Fluff, the night circus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-28 12:03:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10830894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepingReader/pseuds/SleepingReader
Summary: And then there is a black and white circus standing in the middle of a field in Gravity Falls.Well. That happened.After a while of shrugging and mumbling "Never mind all that" the people of Gravity Falls start to get curious.How did it get there?Why is it only open at night?How did Melody, Soos's fiancee, to get all the Pines Twins to come over, in the middle of the spring semester?Why does it feel like home to so many of the citizens?And what wonders lie within?





	1. The Arrival

The circus arrives without warning.  
There is nothing about it on the Internet, nothing on town posters, or on the television. It's just... There. Standing in a field. Everyone is confused at first, but then simply shrug, mutter "never mind all that" to themselves, and move on.  
And yet the citizens of Gravity Falls are drawn to the mysterious circus. The huge tents are striped, but not in gold and red, like most circuses. They are striped black and white. And as curious eyes peek through the fence, they see that even the ground is void of all colour. The flowers of springtime bloom around the circus, but the circus itself looks as though it's been seen through an old camera lens.  
Of course, within hours everyone knows about the circus. But nobody knows what it does there. Or when it's open for business. Every once in a while, a child is sent to look at the circus. At the beautiful clock just inside the grounds. At the black and silver sign on the elaborate iron gates. The sign that reads 

 

_Opens at nightfall  
Closes at dawn. _

 

"What kind of circus is only open at night?" people ask. Eyebrows are raised. And yet, as dusk approaches, the entire town seems to be gathered at the gate. 

Melody, Soos's fiancee, had received a curious little note just before the circus arrived. While she wouldn't tell her betrothed what the note meant, she did encourage him to shut down the Mystery Shack for a week, and to invite the Pines Family back to Gravity Falls.  
When asked why, she could only reply: "Because this is something they really really have to see."  
Stanford and Stanley Pines arrive at midday, on the day that the circus appeared. The town is already restless with anticipation. Ford spends almost the entire day sitting on a rock in front of the circus, trying to figure out how it got there and what it all meant. When he is finally called back to the Shack, he only leaves because Dipper and Mabel are arriving soon. 

As they wait at the bus stop, Ford and Stan (who is enjoying mysteries more and more) try to get any information out of Melody. She won't tell them anything, apart from the fact that the circus is the only reason she owns a red scarf.  
The bus pulls into the station, and Stan bounds forward to catch his niece and nephew, as they run from the steps and throw themselves into his arms. Ford follows close behind, and the Pines family is caught in a group hug, which Soos and Melody soon join. After the enthusiasm settles down, Dipper turns to Melody.  
"So, Melody? What's this all about? I can't believe you just called our school and they let us have a whole week off!" Dipper asks incredulously.  
"Heh. Principal's a fan as well." Melody says mysteriously. "Come see" she adds, leading them from the bus stop. They make a quick stop inside McGucket's Inn, formerly Northwest Manor, where they will be staying for the week. Having gotten rid of their luggage, Melody pulls them to the field where the circus stands.  
"Wow! This place looks amazing! But aren't "rainbows" and "circus" two words that should kinda always be together?" Mabel asks. Dipper and Ford shrug. Melody just smiles. "You'll see, come nightfall" she says, her eyes glimmering.

As the sun sets, it seems the entire town has gathered around the gates. They wave "hi" to all of their friends. Mabel and Dipper hug Pacifica, who is delighted that her parents seem to be as interested in the circus as she is, and have taken her on an family outing. Gideon Gleeful smiles shyly at Mabel, and attempts a polite greeting at Dipper, who just waves and smirks at him. The huge man next to Gideon, Ghost-eyes, smiles and waves at them both. He quickly moves aside as he sees Wendy, who has grouped up with Nate, Lee and Thompson. They all run up to the Pineses and give them all hugs, high-fives and high-sixes. Dipper and Wendy exchange hats again. The kids agree to meet up one of the next nights, as the Pines Family really needs some time together right now.  
"See you in the circus though, nerds!" Wendy punches Dipper's shoulder playfully before walking off with her friends, her red hair glowing in the light of the setting sun.  
And then the sun is suddenly down completely. The light switches from dusk to twilight. Everyone seems to hold their breath. 

Nothing happens. The wind is cold for a May evening, and people burrow their heads in their scarves. They start to discuss what to do next. Most of them are in favour of going home, or going out for a drink, since they're out already.  
Then, there is a popping sound. Barely audible, like a kettle about to boil for tea. Then, a small light, on top of the largest tent. The lights spread like slow firework over all of the tents, tiny lights popping and sparkling like angry fairies. A small child near Stanley's back squeals in delight and claps their hands. Stan finds himself grinning and looking back at the sound, and therefor doesn't notice the sign at first. That honour falls to Ford, whose time in different dimensions have given him reflexes like a cat. He kneels down to Dipper and Mabel, and silently points. The first few lamps are already lighting up as Stanley turns back. A curved letter C is visible. Then some E's. A Q, oddly. Before long, the last lamp pops on and sends a shower of sparks over the citizens, causing Gideon Gleeful to step back, half-worried about his hair. The sign is now completely lit. 

_Le Cirque des Reves_

Many of the people of Gravity Falls have not studied French, and while many can guess what it means, Mabel just tugs at Ford's sleeve, looking questioningly up at him.  
"The Circus of Dreams" he tells her, smiling softly. She smiles back brightly, and takes his hand. The elaborate iron gate opens by themselves, the ticket booth is open and lit, and the citizens of Gravity Falls are allowed to enter The Night Circus.


	2. Corridors and Courtyards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into the Circus...

CHAPTER 2: Tunnels and Courtyards

\--------

The line to the ticket booth is surprisingly quick, as if the circus has been in business for a long time. Within no time, they all have their tickets, the ticket booth lady winking at Melody as she passes the booth in her black and white suit and red scarf. She is not the only one in that attire. Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland-Blubs are both sporting black coats, two identical red roses tucked into their top buttonholes. They hold hands as they pass through the heavy striped curtain separating the circus from the outside world. 

The Pines Family see Wendy go through the curtain, while Lee waits a second before going through himself. Fiddleford McGucket has to be gently reminded by Ford that there is an entire circus to see before he can tear his eyes away from the magnificent clock that sits opposite the ticket booth. The clock is changing, layers of clockwork exposed as the face of the clock seems to slowly shift from black to white, while small clouds move across the face."It's just like a dream," McGucket sighs. "I can only wish to make something like that one day". Fords smiles and nods in agreement. After Fiddleford has gone through the heavy striped curtain, Soos and Melody pass through, Melody first, Soos waiting a little while before stepping through himself.  
By unspoken agreement, the Pines Family decide to go together. The events of last summer and the whole "Trust No One" business is still somewhat too fresh in their minds, and while they all somehow trust the mysterious circus, they decide that this is an experience they want to have together.  
Mabel and Dipper pull back the fabric, and they all step forward, Mabel sliding her hand into Ford's again, knowing that they both might want the reassurance. 

The curtain closes behind them, and they are engulfed in darkness. Ford tenses up, memories of dark dimensions coming to his mind, until Mabel's small hand in his, and his brothers hand on his shoulder remind him that he is safe. It takes a moment for their eyes to adjust, and then they start to see tiny, twinkling dots of light lining the dark tunnel in front of them. It's like they're in one of those long waterslides, where the wall of the slide is lined with little stars, and it feels like the real world isn't real anymore.  
"Liminal spaces," Dipper whispers, and Ford nods, before remembering that Dipper probably can't see him.  
"Let's get movin'" Stan says, starting to feel his way around. Soon, they are all walking. The dark twinkling tunnel seems to go on forever, curving that way, and twisting the other. Mabel begins to wonder if maybe they're all being tricked, and Justin Kerprank is about to pop out of the walls.  
Then, they come to a soft, velvet curtain. This time, the older Pines Twins are pushed forward by Dipper and Mabel to open it.  
The light on the other side is blinding. 

Stan's brain comes to a logical conclusion: It's daytime. As he blinks in the light, letting his eyes adjust, he sees that it is still nighttime, but the entire black and white courtyard they find themselves in is lit by a shining white bonfire. Ford slowly moves over to it, Dipper on his heels and Mabel still holding his hand. Ford wonders what on earth would cause that fire to burn so bright. Stan stands next to him. Then they are greeted by Soos and Melody, who are already holding two black bags full of pure white popcorn.  
Stan turns to his niece, nephew and brother.  
"Alright kiddo's, here's the deal. You all got phones, I want you to set a timer for three hours. After that, it's back here in the courtyard, and we'll see what happens next." Stan says to Dipper and Mabel. "Poindexter, are you paying attention? Three hours!" he tells his brother, who is craning his neck to look at the tallest tents, his mouth open. Ford makes a thumbs up with his free hand to show that he understands. 

Melody moves over to them, giving them all small hand-sewn white linen bags tied with red ribbon.  
"Here's some money for snacks or if a tent wants you to pay for something," Melody says, handing everyone (even Stan and Ford) a little bag. "I remember this place from when it was in Portland when I was twelve, and while I don't remember everything, I do remember being so dumb as to not bring any money. Biggest regret of my life." she says, grinning at Stan.  
"Soos, she gave me money. I like her. Keep her." Stan says. Soos just smiles happily at him. "Don't worry, Mr. Pines. I will. After all, we're getting married this summer!" Stan claps Soos on the shoulder, and Soos and Melody set off, holding hands and walking towards a platform on the other end of the courtyard. 

"OK, kiddo's, Sixer, set your alarms. I want your butts back here in three hours."  
They all set their timer for three hours, and all of them look around, wondering what to do first, but not going anywhere.  
"Um… Can't we just… Go see stuff together?" Mabels asks tentatively, still holding on to Ford's hand. Dipper nods and smiles. He quietly takes Ford's other hand, and Mabel takes Stan's, and together, they set off towards the largest tent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find that I like writing these things better if I make them short, instead of a huge story. After all, I am more accustomed to one-shots.


	3. Manoeuvres, Menageries and Mazes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three tents are explored: The Acrobats Tent, The Fantastical Menagerie and the Cloud Maze.

\-------- The Acrobats --------

As they enter the huge tent, their mouths fall open. Their hands unclasp, dropping to their sides. All of their heads slowly go upwards, to the space where the acrobats play. It really is a big tent. Mabel guesses it's about the size of the area where she met the annoying unicorn Celestabellebethabelle. But instead of unicorns, the tent is filled with acrobats. They spin, leap, soar through the air, floating, flying! They don't make any noise, not even the slightest of grunt as one acrobat catches another around his waist, no intake of breath as they jump from the chairs suspended on ribbons they use as trapezes. There are no nets. Mabel catches sight of a young man (who bears a remarkable resemblance to Xyler from Dream Boy High) in a sparkling silver suit. He makes his way to the top of the tall tent, and jumps. Mabel gasps in worry as the young man spins so fast that she has to strain her eyes to even see him move. In fact, he seems to fall so fast and so long that she is already reaching inside her lilac sweater for her grappling hook. But then he suddenly comes to a full stop in the middle of the tent. The fine silver thread that was tied around his ankle is pulled taut, and he smiles, and blows an upside-down kiss at her. She reaches out to grab it, and he smiles at her before making his way up the thread again, doing tricks that even the most experienced pole dancer Stan once saw in Las Vegas would be intimidated by.  
"Hot Belgian Waffles" Mabel hears her Grunkle Stan say, as the sparkly acrobat reaches the top of the tent, ties off his silver thread and joins five other acrobats in a series of mid-air backflips,  
Ford nods. "You said that right."  
Mabel and Dipper can only agree. 

They walk on underneath the acrobats, pausing occasionally. Dipper is slightly worried that one of them will fall on top of them, though that does not happen. Women in white feathered costumes seem to flutter down from black cages, catching suspended ribbons before hoisting themselves up and floating to the next ribbon. 

When they finally exit the tent, not by the flap that they came through, they come upon an inner circle of the circus. Ford is amazed by the intricacy and the ingenuity. "Circles within circles…The makers must have been inspired by the Latin 'circus', which literally means circle. It seems that the tents are in a circular pattern, while being circular themselves " he says. "This place must be at least half-magic. There is no way that this circus cannot be. I wonder who made this…"  
"What does it matter, this place is amazing!" Stan says. "I wish I could do this. Imagine all the _money_ I could make."  
Dipper and Mabel shake their heads at their uncles friendly argument, and look around at all the new tents, waiting to be explored...

 

\-------- The Menagerie --------

 

"Fantastic Menagerie. No fire allowed" 

Dipper reads the sign on the tent across the acrobats tent. "OK, I'm intrigued. Shall we explore yonder tent, my dear lady-sister?" He bows dramatically before Mabel, offering her his arm.  
"Why, yes, dear fellow-brother. Let us Mystery Twins explore yonder tent!" She laughs, then curtsies at her brother, and takes his arm. They glide into the tent, arm in arm, bearing identical grins. 

Stan laughs at them, and then makes an equally dramatic and ridiculous bow before Ford. "My old fellow-brother, may I be permitted to link thine pinkie with mine so we may skip into yonder tent together?" He asks in a remarkable imitation of Saunterblugget Hampterfuppinshire, from The Duchess Approves. Ford laughs along with him, and tries to get him off-balance. They end up shoving each other into the tent, both roaring with laughter.  
Once inside, they see Dipper and Mabel, waiting for them.  


Then they turn to face the inside of the tent. There is mist all around them, rolling mist, curling around their shoes and waists, teasing their fingertips with cool wisps of white fog.  
"So what's the deal? Where's all the ani-" Stan begins, before he feels something rub against his legs, and sees a paper origami cat twist its way around his ankles. Soon, Mabel is on the floor, petting it. Then three origami mice run over Dipper's shoes, and the cat runs off to catch them. While Mabel marvels at a black origami cricket on her sleeve, Dipper and Ford walk further into the tent, mesmerised.

"Meet us back here when you're done, nerds!" Stan shouts after them. They both stick out their thumbs before they walk on, Dipper already fishing out his new journal. Ford absent-mindedly hands him one of the pens from his breast pocket, opening his own journal. 

Mabel and Stan stay behind, while Mabel makes friends with the cricket, a paper platypus that is folded out of sonnets of Shakespeare, and a ape made out of the pages of Jungle Book.  
Stan enthuses about "That weird lookin' fish thing" that floats at eye-height in front of his face. Then they, too, make their way deeper into the tent, encountering more and more animals as they go. 

Stan and Mabel are watching a little paper egg hatch into a little crocodile before they hear a papery roar from far away. They look at each other and then turn back to the crocodile.  
A few seconds later, they are thrown over by their respective brothers, who seem to be running from something.  
"HEY! What gives, Sixer?" Stan shouts from the floor, before noticing Ford's face, which looks covered in ash, as if he just shaved.  
"The sign said "no fire" Poindexter. I thought you could read?" he quips at Ford.  
"What just happened?" Mabel asks Dipper.  
"Dragon." is all Dipper and Ford can say before both collapsing into laughter.

"All right. I don't believe a thing about that. Come on, sweetie. Let's go see a "dragon". Stan says, pulling Mabel up. "Wanna come, nerds?"  
"No, thank you," Ford says. "I think the dragon doesn't want to see us anymore".  
Dipper nods. So Dipper and Ford stay behind, and while Dipper watches the crocodile catch and shred an origami mouse, Ford makes friends with a black owl that is made from star charts.  
After a while, they become aware of running footsteps and roaring laughter. Stan rushes past them, shouting "MONEY" and carrying a cheering Mabel on his shoulders. A roar and thundering footsteps sound rather near, and Ford and Dipper decide that, yes, running sounds good right now.  
When they are at the entrance again, all of them panting slightly, Stan, still carrying Mabel, shows Ford a handful of silver and black coins, stolen from the dragon. Ford smiles and pours another handful of coins from his pockets into Stan's hands. Stan grins and claps Ford on the shoulder, before Ford picks up Dipper, sets him on his shoulders, and leads the way to the next tent. 

 

\-------- The Cloud Maze --------

 

This tent is almost as tall as the acrobats tent, but narrower. It looks for all the world like a wizard's tower.  
From her perch on Stan's shoulders, Mabel reads the sign above the door. 

__

_The Cloud Maze_  
_An Excursion in Dimension_  
_A Climb Through The Firmament_  
_There Is No Beginning_  
_There Is No End_  
_Enter Where You Please_  
_Leave When You Wish  
_ _Have No Fear Of Falling._

As the older set of twins begin to duck to help the kids on their shoulders through the entrance, they catch a glimpse of red hair before they are grabbed and shaken by Lee, Nate and Wendy and Thompson.  
"DIPPERMABELMR.PINESES! HAVEYOUGUYSBEENINSIDEHERETHISISAMAZINGWEWEREWAITINGFORYOUGUYSI'MGONNAJOINTHECIRCUS" they all speak through each other. Dipper and Mabel's teeth rattle, as their Grunkles are shaken by three enthusiastic teenagers.  
"Whoa, whoa, calm down!" Ford says, laughing and setting Dipper down. "One at a time!" he says.  
"JUST COME" is all Wendy says, trying to pull Dipper along.  


Once inside the tent, Mabel's mouth falls open. The tent is dark-walled with an immense, sparkly white structure in the centre. It takes up the entirety of the tent save for a raised path along the walls, a winding loop that begins at the entrance and circles around. The floor below the path and around the white structure is covered in white spheres, thousands of them piled like soap bubbles.  
Grinning at the spheres, Stan makes his way to the edge of the pit.  
"Kids, Sixer, go crazy. I'll be in the ball pool," he says, before turning around, crossing his arms and plomping backwards into the soft spheres. They hear his contented sigh as he sinks down into the softness of the pit.  
"Lazy" Ford mutters affectionately.  
A raspy laughing but slightly muffled voice raises itself from the ball pit: "Exploring is hard work. Deal with it, nerd" 

Ford turns to the teens. "So, how does this work?" he asks, looking up at the tower.  
The tower seems to be a series of platforms swooping in odd shapes, much like clouds. They are layered, like cumulonimbus. From what Ford can see, the room between varies from spaces that are roomy enough to walk straight through, to spaces barely enough to crawl. Here and there parts of it almost float off the central tower, drifting off into space. There are nets, ledges, ropes, ladders and all sorts of climbing stuff. People are climbing around everywhere. Hanging on edges, walking through paths, climbing higher and lower. Some of the platforms move with the weight, others are still.

Wendy, Tate, and Lee turn to Dipper, Mabel, Thompson and Ford.  
"TO THE TOP! TO THE TOP!" they chant together, banging their fists.  
Ford looks at Mabel and Dipper, and grins.  
"Race you" he says.  
"3-2-1, GO!" the twins and the teens shout, and they all run off in different directions.  
As Ford runs to the nearest entrance, he hears Stanley's voice from the ball pit.  
"KICK CORDUROY'S BUTT FOR ME, SIXER!"  
Ford grins, and runs after Wendy.

For a while, Ford and Wendy go neck-to-neck, before they comes across a part where the platforms are too high up to jump. There seems to be the end of a rope rope dangling from the upper part, but neither of them can reach it.  
Wendy turns to Ford. "Temporary truce?" she asks, grinning.  
Ford smiles back. "I give you a boost, you throw down the rope?" he asks, folding his hands together to make a step for Wendy.  
"You read my mind, old man," she smiles as she puts her foot in his hands, and steps up.  
"Mind who you're calling old," Ford shoots back. "I can still drop you, you know"  
"Ha! I'd take you down with me. Timber!" she shouts, as she tugs on the rope, and the rope falls down.  
"Thanks! Now, go beat that Thompson kid!" Ford says, and she yelps in surprise as he throws his folded hands holding her foot upwards, tossing her on the upper platform.  
"Really?" she asks.  
"GO!" he yells, already halfway the rope.  
She goes just a little slower up to the next platform to help him catch up with her. After all, she's a Corduroy, and she still believes in a bit of fair play. 

When they reach the top, they find that Mabel has beaten them to it.  
"ALPHA TWIN! ALPHA TWIN!" she shouts to the tent. Basking in her glory, she raises her fists and brushes the ceiling.  
Dipper is bodily thrown up to the top by Lee, knocking her over. Nate and Lee clamber up as well, hoisting up Thompson, who clings to the floor with his eyes closed.  
They all admire the view. Everyone looks so tiny up here. Mabel spots Grunkle Stan, still laying down contentedly in the ball pit. She looks for a way down, but can't see any. Shame. She hoped there would be a slide of some sorts.  
"Quick question! How do we get down?" Mabel asks.  
"Well, the sign said "Have No Fear Of Falling"," Ford says. "So… Who wants to go first?" he adds.

As one, Nate, Lee and Wendy turn to the brown-haired teenager beside them. " THOMPSON! THOMPSON! THOMPSON!" They shout, pumping the air with their fists. Thompson's closed eyes begin to well up. "Please guys, not this time…" he whimpers. The teens look at him, then at each other. They shrug. Then they turn to Ford. 

This time, the chant starts soft. "author. author. author. Author! Author! AUTHOR! AUTHOR!!"  
Ford grins. Then he suddenly grabs Mabel and Dipper around the waists. He lifts them up as if they weigh nothing, and LEAPS from the platform. 

Shouting and laughing together, they tumble through the air. Falling into the pool of spheres is truly like falling into a cloud, soft and light and comforting. They make way for the others. High above, they see Wendy take off her fluffy hat, and put it backwards on Thompson's head, so he can't see. Nate and Lee pry Thompson off from the floor, and together, they jump down. When they reach the spheres, even Thompson is laughing. 

They find their way back to Grunkle Stan and sit together for a bit, lazily throwing spheres at each other. After a while, when the teens have recovered their energy somewhat, the sphere throwing transforms into a snowball-like-fight. The little balls are as light as air, and while they strike true, they also never hurt, and float gently down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of these tents are from the book The Night Circus. While I will be adding chapters with tents I thought up myself, I also really wanted to see these characters interact with the tents in the book.


	4. Midnight Munchies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stan gets stuck and everyone gets some food.

\--------

After a while of sitting in the ball pit in the Cloud Maze, Stanley hears Mabels stomach rumble. His own stomach seems to rumble in reply.  
"How about making good of that money Melody gave us?" he asks. "Let's get some food."  
The others agree, and make their way out of the ball pit. Ford brushes himself off, and then wanders off outside to wait for the others there. Stanley tries to stand up, but can't seem to do so. The soft spheres have sunk his legs so far that he can't really seem to move them, and when he tries to get himself free, he only ends up sinking further.  
"Uh.. Kids!" He calls after Dipper and Mabel. "Little help?"  
His niblings turn back to their Grunkle, and each take an arm.  
"3-2-1.. Pull!" Dipper shouts, and he and his sister tug on Stan's arm, to no avail. Stan tries again to wiggle free of the spheres, but sinks only further.  
He is now buried in the spheres up to his armpits.  
"Kids, I need you to promise me something. Get me out and don't tell Ford, and I'll give you both five dollars."  
Mabel grins at him and crosses her heart. Dipper nods, more seriously. He calls over to Wendy, who turns around. She grins and walks back to Stan.  
"Got in a bit of trouble?" she grins at him as she kneels down next to his head.  
"Listen, kid, you don't work for me anymore, you work for Soos. I ain't gettin you a raise, even if you do help me." Stan shoots back.  
"Oh Mister Fo-oorrdd…" Wendy sing-songs softly, her head slowly going to the tent flap.  
"NO! All right, you little blackmailer. Five dollars for you too."  
"That's what I wanted to hear. Okay, Mr. Pines, prepare to be astounded by our strength"

Wendy beckons her gang to come over and help. They all pull at Stan's arms, but nothing happens, save from an ache in Stan's shoulders.  
"Oh dear…" Dipper worries as Mabel giggles at the sight of her Grunkle buried in soft white spheres. He is now up to his nose, his hands next to his face, and doesn't seem to be able to move at all. He blinks at them. Wendy laughs.  
Then Dipper says: "Alright, that's enough. Grunkle Ford!" He runs outside, to Ford, who is looking at a statue of a woman. The statue seems to be moving slightly, slowly changing pose from a bow to a pirouette. Ford looks at Dipper, who tugs on his sleeve.  
"Grunkle Ford, you gotta help out here."  
"What's wrong my boy? Mabel run off again?" Ford asks, smiling. Right at that moment, Mabel runs out of the tent, and grabs Ford's other sleeve.  
"I'm fine, Grunkle Ford. But you gotta see this" she demands, a broad grin on her lips. As Ford lets himself be tugged back inside the tent, he wonders what could possibly be wrong. 

When he sees his brother buried up to his nose in the ball pit, he snorts loudly, then starts roaring with laughter.  
"Hahahaha! Stanley.. Hahaha! Didn't you *snort* ever listen to.. Hahahaha! Mother?" He laughs.  
Stan grunts.  
"She always used to tell us to never stand up in a ball pit, but always… Hehehe… Roll over to the side. Said it had caused her a trauma in her childhood. I can now see why!" Ford explains to Mabel and Dipper.  
Stan grunts again, and wiggles more. He sinks more, up to his glasses.  
"All right, hang in there, Stanley," Ford says, his smile fading.. "Mabel, dear, have you got your grappling hook with you?"  
"Always, Grunkle Ford!" She pulls the grappling hook out of her sweater, and hands it to him.  
Dipper makes squinty eyes at her. "Did you use that to get to the top of the maze?" he asks suspiciously.  
"What? No! That would be cheating!" Mabel says. "Besides, I always forget that I have it!" she adds.  
Stan grunts again, and rolls his eyes. Ford gets the point. He jumps from the ledge and lands next to Stan in the ball pit, the arm holding the grappling hook pointed up. He searches for his brother among the soft spheres, and finally, he's able to grab onto Stan's waist. He shoots the grappling hook up to the path along the perimeter of the tent, and he and his brother are slowly lifted from the ball pit. At the end, when Stan's legs finally spring free, they are tugged upwards to the path, and make their way down. Stan, who decided that the whole ordeal was hilarious, is laughing along with his brother as they walk down.  
"None of you goobers are gettin any money!" he shouts at Dipper, Mabel and Wendy. They all laugh.  
Wendy walks next to Stan for a bit, as the group exits the tent.  
"Sorry 'bout that, Mr Pines. You know.. Blackmailing you and all."  
"Heh, don't worry about it, kid. I would have done the same. It was a good blackmail, as well."  
"Thanks, Mr. Pines! I learned from the best" Wendy laughs.  
"…Call me Stan." Stan says, and holds up his fist for her to bump. They bump fists, and make their way to the food stands in the courtyard.  
Here, Nate, Lee and Wendy say their goodbyes, having already eaten, and wander off to a tent that says "The Ice Garden"

As they gather in the courtyard, they can smell wisps of caramel, peppermint, sugar, toffee, popcorn, chocolate, tea fruit, coffee, mulled wine and all other sorts of scents. It should be overwhelming but it isn't. Instead, it only smells appetizing.  
"So where to first?" Mabel asks.  
"Well, I think it would be more logical if we all got our own food, and then.. meet back at the bonfire?" Ford suggests.  
They nod, and everyone sets off to get their own food. 

 

\--------Ford--------  
Ford looks around and decides to follow his nose. The smell of multi-flavoured fruit reminds him of his favourite sweets, jelly beans. He tracks the scent to a small stand near the acrobats tent, where there are fewer patrons. This stand sells packets of small pieces of paper with intricate drawings on them. All the papers are in black and white, like the rest of the circus. The sign tells Ford that the black papers are sour, and the white papers are sweet.

As he hesitates, the vendor smiles at him and, with a gloved hand, hands him a small piece of paper to try. It is white, and there is a beautiful strawberry drawn on it in black ink. Expecting the standard chemical taste of strawberry flavoured jelly beans, he nibbles tentatively at a corner.  
It isn't chemical at all. Fords eyes widen. It tastes like the height of summer, and his entire body feels warm with an unshining sun. It tastes of adventure, of sleeping in a meadow and picking strawberries with small hands. Of stuffing your face with strawberries until your mouth is red and the strawberries are all gone. It tastes of homemade strawberry jam, spread upon a piece of toasted bread at 5 o'clock in the morning, where you are still trying to make sense of the world and the sun has just peeked beyond the horizon. The time before a road trip to a far away holiday destination begins. In awe, he buys a mixed-flavours packet, then turns around and buys another two. "One for research, one for Mabel and Dipper" he tells himself as he explores the tastes of the edible paper within the first packet. The paper is surprisingly filling. He then settles for a large cup of tea, as to not diffuse the many tastes of the papers. 

 

\--------Stan--------  
Stan stands still for a moment, the different smells teasing his nostrils. Then his brain suggests that he needs a drink. The air around is still a bit cold, and the mulled wine from the stand next to him smells great. He trudges up to the large stall, and waits in line for the wine. When it's his turn, he is given a choice between a spicy wine with pepper, cinnamon, cloves and orange, or a sweeter wine with lime, peppermint and raspberries. The sweeter wine reminds him too much of Mabel juice, so he settles for the spicy wine. He is given a paper cup with black and white swirls on it, and pure black wine within. The price is not as high as he thought, which surprises him. It seems Melody has given them all enough money to last an entire week in the circus. He drops a coin from the change into a tip jar on the counter of the stall, the one that says: "Just In Case". The slogan speaks to him, for some reason.  
As he sips his wine, he has to acknowlegde that he likes it a lot. The alcohol gives the evening a nice twang, and while there is not too much of it in it, he feels it warm up his body. Even his toes, which always seem cold.  
He then decides the wine in his stomach needs a friend, and makes his way to a stall selling, ironically, hot belgian waffles. The waffles are completely white with powdered sugar and drizzled over with black syrup which sticks to his mouth and his stubbly beard. He makes the mistake of exhaling while he bites down, and is then surrounded by a cloud of powdered sugar.  
"I find this very funny." a bright and chipper voice says from behind him. He turns and finds Tad Strange, in his black-and-white suit, holding what seems to be a breadstick. As Tad Strange walks off, Stan muses that that guy would have the perfect voice for a radio host. 

 

\--------Dipper--------  
Dipper immediately makes his way to the stand selling chocolate milk with clouds of whipped cream and black sprinkles on the top. He would never admit it, but chocolate milk is his favourite drink. As he stands in line he looks around if he can find something a bit more salty. When he was younger, he and Mabel would always have chocolate milk before bed on Friday. Sometimes, Dipper would unexpectedly wake up in the middle of the night and go downstairs to find his parents eating nachos in front of the television. Dipper would always be invited to join them for nachos and a bad horror movie, as the parents of the twins were pretty laid-back about the whole bedtime business, especially on a Friday. Mabel only went to bed because she, somehow, had acquired a sleep rhythm. For some reason, hot chocolate milk and nachos go together in Dipper's mind.  
Hit by a wave of nostalgia, Dipper scans the many food stalls for something like nachos. He sees some people walk by with what seem to be shish kebab, but made entirely of crisps. He gets his chocolate milk. Then he walks over to the stall and buys himself one of the nacho-sticks. Nacho-sticks. He smiles slightly at the pun.  
Somehow, the person making the sticks has managed to dill a hole through the nachos. The nachos are then piled up on a stick, with jalapenos, beef and beans and cheese between then. While the circus hasn't managed to make the nachos black and white, Dipper notices that the stick is black and white striped. He sits down on a bench near the bonfire and munches on his nachos, taking sips of hot chocolate milk in between bites. It feels like home.

 

\--------Mabel--------  
Mabel takes it upon herself to find the most "adorable cutest Mabelly food" at the many vendors in the circus. She walks around for a bit, and then spots a toddler in a baby buggy. The toddler is gumming happily on a small, soft-looking black-and-white cookie that looks like a fox.  
"Excuse me, madam?" Mabel asks politely of one of the mothers. Both ladies look down at her.  
"What is it, dear?" one of them asks.  
"Where did you buy that cookie? It looks delicious!" Mabel asks, pointing at the baby in the stroller.  
One of the child's mothers point to a stand decorated with black-and-white animals.  
"Over there! And yes, they really are delicious!"  
"Thank you!" Mabel gives the lady her biggest smile, and runs off. She hears the other woman call after her.  
"You should get the caramel also! Trust me!" she calls.  
Mabel has no idea what the woman meant, but resolves to "Get the caramel also".  
As she reaches the cookie stand, she waits patiently in line for her turn. When she reaches the front, she is greeted by the sight of dozens of cookies, all shaped like different animals. There is the fox she saw the child eat, but there are also cats, zebra's, dogs, wolves, giraffes, otters and fish. At the front there is a row of mythological animals, like unicorns, mermaids, sphinxes, gargoyles and yeti's. All the cookies are no larger than two inches and are obviously meant to be binged. She takes one of everything, except the unicorn. She's had enough of unicorns for a lifetime.  
Before she turns away, she remembers what the lady called after her.  
"Sorry, someone told me to "get the caramel?" she asks the vendor.  
The vendor nods at her (none of the people in this circus seem to talk) and leans over the side of the stall to tap the vendor selling Dutch stroopwafels on the shoulder. The cookie vendor holds up one finger, then points at Mabel. The stroopwafel vendor grins, and drizzles some black sticky caramel into a cup for her. He hands it back to the cookie vendor, who motions dunking the cookie into the cup, and Mabel thanks them both.  
She walks back to the bonfire, dunking a giraffe-shaped cookie from the bag into her caramel cup. She takes a bite, and immediately decides to make the cookies one day for Dipper, Grunkle Ford and Grunkle Stan.  
Deciding that cookies go best with milk, she buys some from a nearby vendor and then walks back to find her family. 

 

The Pineses gather together at the bonfire, enthusing about their respective foods. Dipper and Mabel wholeheartedly thank Ford for the edible paper, and Mabel offers him an owl-shaped cookie, which he dunks into the caramel as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, I enjoy writing this story. Having familiar characters in something as diverse as the Night Circus is really nice to write! I can go completely crazy with the tents and the food, while exploring each characters tastes as I go!  
> Dipper's story is based on my own experiences with my parents, who, when I couldn't sleep, would sometimes just invite me to sit with them in the living room and watch TV. Those nights were amazing. Thanks mom & dad. <3
> 
> Also, I apologise for the many commas. I have no beta reader and no self restraint when it comes to commas.


	5. Carousels, Crystals and Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more tents are explored while bedtime creeps closer.

\--------The Carousel--------  
"Ready for another round?," Ford asks, and the twins and Stan nod. "I think I saw an actual ride over there, it looked interesting. Shall we check it out?" he adds. They walk together to the place Ford indicated, and find half of a Carousel sit on the opposite side of the bonfire. As all of the things in the circus, everything is in shades of black and white.  
"Wow, looks cool!" Mabel says. "But where's the other side?"  
"Guess we'll find out" Dipper says.  
There are many animals on the carousel, which stops every so often to let new people on. There are normal wooden animals like cheetahs and scorpions, but also stranger animals like nine-tailed foxes, dragons and hippogriffs. Dipper chooses a large wolf, that seems to have a white ball of light in its teeth. He climbs up, and feels the body of the wolf contract and widen between his legs, as though the creature is breathing. Mabel is right behind him, on a winged elephant. She can feel slight tremors going through its body, as though the elephant has a heartbeat.  
Mabel calls to her Grunkles: "Aren't you coming? I bet it's fuuuuu-uun!"  
Stan and Ford look wary at the moving animals. It had been a while since either of them had ridden a carousel, and they are not sure if they are even allowed on it. But the lady strapping in the kids waves them over, and they each choose an animal as well. 

Ford smiles slightly as he spots his favourite mythological creature, a gryphon. He places his ear on the gryphons neck, and hears a mechanical whirring and something that sounds like a slow heartbeat. Dipper, looking around at him, copies him on his wolf, and his eyes widen as he notices the same thing.  
Ford strokes the gryphon tentatively, and it closes its eyes.  
Stan, behind Ford, sees his brothers discoveries and strokes one of the necks of his own creature, a reptile with many heads. A hydrant, he thinks. The creature shivers beneath his touch, and closes its many eyes as well. 

Then the ride starts. Mabel and Ford's animals stretch their wings. They make a normal carousel circle first and catch a glimpse of the courtyard again, before all the animals suddenly jump off of the carousel, with their bars still attached, like in Mary Poppins. Then the animals create their own path through tunnels of clockwork and stars. Ford watches as Mabel's elephant goes in a completely different direction to his gryphon. Stan's hydra seems to be somewhat of a speed-freak, and catches up with Ford's gryphon before overtaking him. Stan only has time to point and laugh at him before he is lost in the darkness. Through the gaps in his tunnel, he sees Dipper cling to its neck as his wolf chases the ball of light that was in it's mouth before. His own gryphon takes things leisurely, sometimes pausing a little before taking a different tunnel. As they come to the next crossroads, Ford experimentally tries to shift his weight towards the tunnel on the left, and the gryphon moves to the left with his wishes. 

While the ride is certainly odd, none of them feel threathened. When the ride is over, they look at each other and, as one, decide to go again. This time they each end up on somewhat more normal animals. Dipper on a stag, Mabel on a dolphin, Ford on a horse and Stan on a goat that bears a remarkable similarity to Gompers. As they set off through the clockwork tunnels, Dipper's stag is a lot calmer ride than the last ride he had on the wolf. He finds, just like Ford on the last one, that this time he can set the course through the tunnels himself. Mabels dolphin delights her by occasionally jumping high to the ceiling so she can touch it. Ford's horse is the speed-freak this time. Ford clutches its silver mane as it gallops at high speed through the tunnels. Stan's goat is a nice ride enough, but it does stop occasionally to chew at the walls. 

As the ride comes to an end and they dismount the animals, they see Fiddleford McGucket talk to the rides assistant. When he's done talking to her, he comes over to them and greets them.  
"This here place is amazin'!' he says. "I just been a-chattin with that lovely assistant there and she be tellin' me that them animals over there be both mechanical and magical! She said that an architect made-em, and an illusionist lady brought them to life!"  
While Stan has trouble believing him, he does admit that the clockwork animals were probably more than just machinery. 

 

\--------The Ice Garden--------  
The next tent is the same Wendy and her friends disappeared into while the Pineses got some food. The sign on the front says 

_The Ice Garden._  
_Apologies for the climate_

 

It's cold inside. The air around smells of snow and of peppermint, which only makes it colder. The walls are black, but the garden is pure white. Even in the springtime, the ground is covered in a fine layer of show that shows no footprints. There are garden borders around the icy grass that are made from the purest, finest ice. Every leaf on every tree, every petal on every frozen rose, lily and tulip are made from thin ice. A small, icy sign says

_Please pick the flowers_

Mabel tries it. Her fingers curl around the stem of a daffodil that grows on the grass, breaking it away from its stem. As she studies the ice flower, she hears Dipper gasp. A new ice daffodil stands in the exact same place the previous stood. They explore the garden in silence, discovering frozen ponds, running icy rivers and bridges made entirely out of clear blue ice. And flowers. Oh, the flowers are everywhere. Lining the pathways, curling around the side of the bridge, brushing their hair as they walk under weeping willows, the branches tinkling and jingling against each other with the movement. When they look behind themselves, they see their footprints being filled again with snow, making the Ice Garden a place to be truly alone together.   
They see Pacifica Northwest with her parents, also walking the garden. For the first time, she looks truly content. They spot Gideon Gleeful's mother between the roses, holding them up to her face as if she can smell their faint icy scent forever. She pulls out what seems to be an icy weed, and looks happy when it doesn't grow back. Maybe Mrs. Gleeful has found her love for gardening again in the rose beds. Mabel sure hopes so. As she tears away her eyes from the content Mrs. Gleeful, who seems to be pulling more weeds, she hears her Grunkles argue with each other. She makes her way back to the bridge where she saw them last and sees Grunkle Stan, who is stuck with his tongue to the bridge and Ford doubting whether he should laugh or shout at his brother.  
When Stan gets unstuck, he rounds back at Ford.  
"Why did you let me lick the bridge?" he demands.  
"I didn't let you do anything! I said 'if you'd lick the bridge you'll get stuck, so don't lick the bridge'! Then you said 'don't tell me what to do, Poindexter' and you licked the bridge!" Ford shoots back.  
They look at each crossly other for a minute before snorting into laughter.  
"Alright, I'm done here. Freezing our butts off here!" Stan says.  
The family goes back to the courtyard, and buy themselves hot bowls of dark red slow-cooked soft pears in a wine-sauce. The hot meal in their belly, Mabel begins to yawn. It's around two o'clock in the morning, and many of the townspeople are heading home. The two sets of twins have had a long day of travel, and then a long night of exploring the circus themselves, so they decide to head back to McGucket's Inn to sleep in for a bit. 

__The tunnel is gone, and there is only the curtain separating the circus from the outside world. As they pass through the curtain, they take another look at the elaborate clock inside the gates. The clock depicts a game of chess, while clockwork cats chase clockwork dogs around the face. On the place where the cuckoo should be, there stands the juggler. He juggles ten balls, signifying two hours past midnight.  
Below the clock, there is a little plaque:_ _

_____In Memoriam_  
_Herr Friedrich Thiessen_  
_& _  
_Chandresh Christophe Lefevre._

__Mabel, holding on to Fords hand again, waves at the lady at the ticket booth, who waves back at her with a gloved hand. As Mabel stumbles over a stone near the circus gates, Ford lifts her up and carries her the rest of the way. Through half-closed eyes, she sees the circus fade from view. There are still so many tents left to explore. But that has to wait until tomorrow. Dipper slows down enough for Stan to lift him up as well, and carrying their niblings, the two Stans, Stanford and Stanley Pines walk the short distance to the Inn, where they set the twins down in their beds in their rooms, and go to their own._ _

__

__The next morning, everyone sleeps till twelve. Dipper wakes up to the sunlight and the sound of Mabels knitting needles, softly clicking together as she makes a brand new, black and white sweater with a circus on the front._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to dedicate this chapter to that one (1) guest who left Kudos on this fic. You keep me going, dude.


	6. Shacks and Circuses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Circus People come to the Shack

That morning, The Mystery Shack receives a letter that is not a bill or a letter from one of the Pineses. It comes in a black envelope, with a black and silver postcard inside. The letter states the following:

_"Dear Mr. and Ms. Mystery,_

_While setting up our tents, we noticed the sign to the Mystery Shack. However, it seems to be closed for the week. We suspect that has something to do with our circus, and we apologise for temporarily putting you out of business. Some of my colleagues have expressed interest in your tourist attraction, and would like to visit it this afternoon, should your schedule permit it. As compensation for your time, we would gladly give you ten free passes for the circus which opens again this evening._

_Kind regards,_

_Bailey Alden Clarke,  
Night Circus Proprietor. _

_P.S. As we do not have a post box, feel free to slide your answer under the main gate of the circus._

Soos immediately calls the Pines family at the Inn. 

__"DUDES. You'll never guess what happened!" He says through the phone  
"OOH I WANNA GUESS" Mabel yells. "DUCKTECTIVE HAS A SECRET SISTER WHO IS IN A HIGH-TECH PRISON SOMEWHERE!"  
"Come on, Mabel, that would be really bad storytelling" Dipper says.  
"No, no no, none of that Mabel-dude! The people from the Circus are coming over this afternoon! I was actually gonna ask the Mr. Pineses if they would like to be the Mr. Mystery's for a bit. Twins are cool, dudeds!"  
"If twins are cool, imagine what would happen if you got DOUBLE TWINS! Dipper! Let's help out Stan and Ford and Soos at the Shack today!"  
"Sure. Sounds cool. Beats sitting in a hotel room, waiting for nightfall!" Dipper agrees.  
It takes a while, but before two o'clock strikes, Stan is back in his Mr. Mystery outfit. Ford has brought a suit as well, black, with a grey waistcoat, and Mabel offers him a scarlet tie with his six-fingered hand symbol in gold at the front, which he gladly accepts. Dipper wears the suit he once received/stole from Pacifica, adorned with an eye patch with a pine tree on it. Mabel wears a skirt-suit with sparkly Bedazzlements around the edges. She also managed to Bedazzle her shooting star icon on her chest.  
They are just in time at the Shack, because not fifteen minutes later, a group of brightly colored people walk along the path that leads from the field. They are dressed in somewhat old-timey looking clothing. Mabel supposes that working in a black-and-white circus makes you want to wear something more bright when you're not on duty. 

__

__

__"Good afternoon!" Stanley calls to the group, striking his old Mr. Mystery pose, Ford copying him in reverse. "Step right up to the Mystery Shack, folks! You've come just in time! For the first and only time, you're being helped by the ENTIRE PINES FAMILY!"  
A murmer of "Twins" goes through the crowd.  
"You've seen right! Nothing says "Mystery" like twins!" Stan says to them.  
"We know," laughs a young red-headed woman at the front of the group. "Hey, Widget!"  
A man with the same face, and equally shocking red hair comes up from behind her and laughs the same laugh as his sister.  
The Pines family stare at the other twins for a moment, and then Ford regains his composure and says to them: "Well, congratulations! You're getting the twin discount! Come right in!" 

The family leads the way through the Shack, Soos, Stan and Ford in the lead. Soos explains all the "mysterious" creatures. While most of the exhibits are still clearly fake, it is clear that Melody has somehow found a couple of real anomalies to put on display, which Ford is happy to explain. The circus artists laugh at all Stan's puns, and seem to be having a good time. At the end of the tour, Stan turns around sheepishly and scratches his neck.  
"Ok, here's the deal, folks. I know it's not as perfect and fancy as your circus, heck, I wish I could come up with…"  
The lady twin holds up her hand in protest.  
"Look, Mr. Pines. We did not come here to take out competitors. We just came here to have a good time, and we're having it!"  
Her brother, Widget, Stan remembers, speaks up.  
"Poppet is right, Mr. Pines. We spend a lot of time cooped up in our "perfect and fancy" circus, and honestly, it's a big relief to see that someone has so much love for this place. We haven't seen things like this since we were kids! And that was a long time ago."  
"Aw, come on. You all don't look a day over twenty-five." Stan says.  
"Not quite" Poppet says mysteriously. 

Dipper and Melody work the till together. Mabel gives "Mystery Shack fashion advice". When the circus group has left, laden with bags full of snow globes, monster-paw shaped slippers and small window-crystals, Dipper turns to Ford.  
"When Stan said that they don't look a day over twenty-five, I think that lady spoke the truth. Their eyes are old-ish?"  
Ford beams down at him. "You are exactly right. Their eyes do look old. I wonder what they have seen…"  
Soos pipes up. "Wow. D'you think that the Circus keeps them immortal?"  
Stan waves it off as "Impossible, kid" but Ford looks contemplative. 

"Anyway," Stan says. "Soos got free tickets for tonight! Ten of'em!"  
"Oh, Mr. Pines. You're getting four of them, of course! Thanks for helping out, Mr. Pines-dude!"  
"Four tickets! I can sell those!" Stan says, before Ford clears his throat. Stan winks, and gives him, Dipper and Mabel one ticket each.  
"Then two tickets for me and Melody… That's six. Who else to invite?" Soos wonders.  
Soos gives a ticket to a delighted Wendy. He also offers one to Fiddleford McGucket, who politely refuses.  
"I got mahself too much money than I know what to do with! Give them tickets to someone who needs 'em!" 

n the end, Soos gives the rest of the tickets to the poor family living at the edge of town. The mother, father and young child have just come from "a really bad war in a far-off country, dudes. I think it was even worse than the thing that happened last summer! They need this." 

At dinner Mabel shows off her almost-finished sweater to Melody. It's in black and white, with a circus on the front. Melody loves it.  
"This is amazing!! How much do you ask for one?" She asks Mabel.  
"You want me to make you a sweater?" Mabel asks, stars in her eyes.  
"Yeah, man! They're awesome!! I thought you just bought them!"  
"No, I make them! What kind would you like?"  
"Well, maybe something with the Carousel. I love that thing! I can just ride it all night! Could you maybe make the collar red? It's a circus thing." Melody requests. 

"Yeah, what is up with the red accents?" Dipper asks. "I've seen them around the circus a lot."  
"It's for the true fans of the circus. To recognise each other!" Melody enthuses. "You know, 'cause the circus is all black and white, we 'reveurs' like wearing black and white, but with a little red accent. So we sort of belong to both the circus and the outside world."  
"That is awesome! And just what this sweater needed!" Mabel says, picking up red wool, making little red flags on the circus tents, and adds a red collar before picking up her knitting needles again and begins to knit a sweater for Melody at high-speed. 


	7. Labyrinth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a labyrinth at the circus, just waiting to be explored. But you never know what you find around the next corner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter comes with a slight trigger warning, people!  
> Two characters will have an anxiety attack here, one a bit more than the other.  
> No fear, they are OK again at the end of the chapter. This is not that kind of Angst Fic.

\--------

The next evening, they are amongst the first to enter the Circus. They show their tickets to the lady at the booth, and she winks and points at Mabels sweater, smiling. Wendy is hanging out with her friends at the cinema until the last showing, after which they plan on entering the circus themselves.  
When the Pines Family re-enter the courtyard with the bonfire, they decide to go to the opposite side, instead of through the acrobats tent. The illusionists tent is already closed, but they spy a medium-sized tent beyond that. 

Mabel reads the sign above the door:

_Step right in, and fear no doom_  
_You are safe in every room_  
_Onward or exit, the choice is yours_  
_Find your way through all the doors_

Underneath it, there is a picture of a maze. 

"How does a labyrinth fit inside a tent?" Dipper asks Ford.  
Ford shrugs. "Perhaps it's just a mirror-maze?" he offers  
"Pretty sure I saw a House Of Mirrors a while back" Stan says.  
They step forward into the tent  
… And it's midday. 

Blinking in the sudden light, they wait a little to let their eyes adjust. There's light filtering through the green leaves large broad-leafed trees. It's not spring anymore, but the middle of the summer. Dipper walks back. He opens the tent flap they came through in, and sees the Circus outside.  
Ford rubs his eyes.  
"How…"  
"I dunno" Stan says beside him.  
Mabel, undisturbed by the weirdness, skips forward.  
"OW!" she says, as she hits her head on something.  
"Mabel? What is it?" Dipper asks anxiously, stepping away from the door.  
"Oh, it's fine! I guess it was just a… Wall?" She slowly reaches her hands forward, and they fall against a wall. The wall is painted with the trees, but so lifelike that the entire family just assumed it was a complete forest.  
"So.. What do we do now?" she asks.  
"…Onward or exit, the choice is yours…" Ford contemplates.  
"Find your way through all the doors!" Dipper exclaims, and walks up to a tree bearing a marking of a key. He presses the hole in the top of the key, and the wall Mabel walked against opens. 

 

They step forward into a huge living room, twice, no, three times the size they are now. The carpet is soft and big. Ford walks under one of the immense chairs, the top of his hair only just brushing the bottom of the seat. He sees a bright glowy exit sign, but is too interested in the carvings people left on the bottom of the chair. Stan explores the confines of the place. It's somehow larger than the first room, but he can still feel the walls. It is Stan, this time, who finds the key to the next room. It's hidden in the oldest book on the bookshelf. When he turns the key, the big window opens.  
"Oldest trick in the book" he grins.  
They clamber up using the pom-poms on the curtains, Ford and Stan giving Dipper and Mabel a boost. 

Then they come to a desert. Then the top of what seems to be an underwater lake. A mountaintop, a forest. The Arctic. A room only containing a top hat, from which thousands of feathers and flowers fall down. A room completely papered in playing cards. Large, small, And in every room, there's both an exit sign and a new door or key.  
While Dipper and Ford are generally the best at finding the next door, Mabels creativity and Stan's complete lack of patience help with opening some of the rooms. Mabel suggests laying down in the sideways room, and Stan just simply punches a "Dumb-lookin wallpaper", revealing a door.  
Dipper and Ford generally prefer to investigate, Dipper particularly talented in seeing things hidden in plain sight, and Ford's ability to think outside the box. After all, in many dimensions the places were so crazy that he sometimes had to think like the crazy places. 

***

When they come to the playing card room, it seems all of them are stumped for a while. Then Dipper recognises the room as a game of Patience, and finds the odd card out. Dipper opens the door hidden behind the Jack of Hearts. He lets Mabel, Stan and Ford walk on into the next room with a bow, proud that he found the door.  
He hears Stan say: "Welp, I admit it. This is the weirdest one yet."  
Dipper hears Ford gasp as he closes the door behind himself. Dipper turns around to see what the problem is.  
The room is full of eyes. Painted eyes, sculptures of eyes, a googly-eye mosaic on the floor. Eyes that seem to follow you, eyes that maintain eye contact with each other on opposites side of the room, eyes that simply roll around, eyes that tick-tock as though part of a clock and the googly eyes that shiver every time a step is taken on the floor. The entire room gives an idea of being followed. Of being watched. 

But that is not the worst part. The worst part is the part that Ford Pines is staring at, on the wall opposite them. It's a giant tapestry of an eye above a pyramid, with a horizontal slit-like pupil in its immense eyeball. 

To Dipper, it suddenly seemed like all the eyes in the room have all turned towards him. The tick-tock eyes stop tick-tocking. The googly eyes on the floor turn towards them. All of the eyes focused on him and his family.  
He can almost hear a horrifying laugh, the kind of laugh that only ever exists inside his nightmares anymore.  
The poem from above the door comes to his mind.  
Except, this time, the poem is twisted.

_STEP RIGHT UP AND MEET YOUR DOOM_  
_THERE ARE EYES EVERYWHERE INSIDE THIS ROOM_  
_NO GOING FORWARD, PINE TREE, NO GOING BACK_  
_YOU'VE LED YOUR FAMILY RIGHT INTO MY TRAP_  
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Dipper freezes up, and collapses to his knees, his arms around his chest.  


Ford, who stands in the middle of the room, hears Dipper fall and reaches for his gun.  
"Dipper! Sixer, are you okay?" he hears Stanley ask. But no, that cannot be Stanley. That is not Stanley. That is a puppet. A mind-control puppet controlled by Bill.  
"STAY AWAY FROM ME" he shouts, turning around, and, thank goodness, Not-Stanley backs away. Then Ford's eyes focus on Mabel, standing behind Not-Stanley.  
Dear, sweet Mabel. Mabel who he could not protect. Whom he cannot protect from Not-Stanley. Mabel whom he sent to fetch hair from a unicorn and who, against all odds, came back with it. Mabel who protected her family. Tears spring to his eyes. 

Mabel holds up her hands in surrender and slowly inches around Not-Stanley while looking at Ford. Not-Stanley tries to hold her back, but she shakes her head and makes her way forward to Dipper.  
Of course. Dipper. Dipper sees the eyes as well. And it's all Ford's fault. Ford's fault. 

"I'm gonna ask you some questions, OK?" Mabel asks Dipper.  
Dipper nods. His arms tighten around his chest.  
"What is your name?" Mabel asks.  
"D-Dipper Pines." Dipper says.  
"Alright. What's your age?"  
"I… I'm 13."  
"Technically a teen, yes. Now, who am I?" she demands.  
"You're my sister, Mabel." This answer is clear as day.  
"That's right, bro-bro. One more question. Where is Bill Cipher?"  
Dipper blinks. "Dead."  
"Can you say that again?"  
Dipper looks up at her, right in the eyes. "Bill Cipher is dead."  
"Good. Keep your eyes closed for me, okay?"  
"Okay."

Mabel blinks her big eyes up at Ford.  
"Grunkle Ford, do you remember?"  
Ford blinks at her.  
"C'mon, Sixer, we have to go"  
There's that voice again. Ford's head whips around. It sounds like Stanley's voice, but it cannot be. After all, Stanley is younger than that. Stanley has a mullet. Right? Yes. A mullet, and snow on his coat. It's cold. Eyes everywhere. Winter. Ford remembers holding a crossbow in his hands, feels the familiar weight.  
"HAVE YOU COME TO STEAL MY EYES?" he demands. 

"What is your name?" A young voice, at his side.  
"Huh?" he asks, blinking snow out of his eyes.  
"What is your name?" The same voice again. Female, he thinks.  
"Stanford Pines" he says, confused.  
"OK. How old are you?"  
"Th… Thirty-one?" he asks.  
"Nope" the voice says in a bright tone. "Try again."  
"For..ty?" No, that's not right either. He certainly doesn't feel forty.  
"Sixy-five." he says. Yes. Sixty-five. That sounds about right. But then, what is he doing in this snowstorm?  
"Where are you right now?" That voice again. Who is she?  
"I'm in Gravity Falls. It's snowing…"  
"You got the first part right. But it's not snowing. Where are you right now?" the voice demands.

Part of a haze seems to lift before his eyes. He is standing in a room. A room full of eyes. His face is turned towards a door. A man in front of the door.  
"I am… in a circus. Black-and-white circus. The circus of dreams…" he says.  
"Good. Who am I?  
He looks beside him at the voice. A brown-haired girl in a black and white and red sweater is looking up at him.  
"You are my great-niece, Mabel Pines. You wear sweaters you knit yourself."  
"Good! Who is that dork in the blue hat with his eyes closed?"  
"That's your brother. Dipper."  
"Yep! He likes playing Dungeons, Dungeons and More Dungeons with you. What is your name again?"  
"Stanford Pines. I'm...Grunkle Ford to you and Dipper."  
"Good. Just a few more last questions. Ready?"  
Ford nods.  
"Where is Bill Cipher?" Mabel asks.

Ford sighs. Some tension relieves from his shoulders.  
"Bill Cipher is dead."  
"How did he die?"  
"He was killed by my brother, Stanley Pines."  
"Say that again?"  
"Bill Cipher is dead. He was killed by my brother Stanley."  
"Good! Now one last question. Who is that man in front of you?"

Ford looks at him. The last of the haze in front of his eyes goes away. He sighs again, and closes his eyes.  
"That is my brother. Stanley Pines."  
"Once more with your eyes open."  
Ford opens his eyes. "That is my brother. Stanley Pines."  
"Good. Now, d'you think you can lower your gun? Kiiiinda freaking out here." Mabel says.  
Ford lowers the gun he didn't even realise he'd been holding. 

"Lee?" he asks.  
"Yes!" Stanley calls. "It's me!"  
Ford drops the gun on the floor and runs over to his brother. Stan catches him, and they hug. Ford tries to stop the tears, but they fall onto Stan's shoulder anyway.  
"I'm so sorry, Stanley. So sorry."  
"I'm here. You're okay. I'm here." Stan says, while rubbing Ford's back.  
"Lee?"  
"Yes, Ford?"  
"Get me out of here?"  
"'Course I will. Keep your eyes shut. Mabel sweetie? Get your brother."  
Stan walks sideways toward the brightly lit exit sign, still hugging Ford, who has his face buried in his shoulder. Mabel follows, leading her brother, his eyes still closed. 

When they stand in the open air, Dipper and Ford are allowed to open their eyes again.  
"Are you both OK?" Mabel asks.  
Dipper takes a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah. I am. Thank you, Mabel." he manages.  
"Grunkle Ford?"  
"I'm slightly better now, Mabel, thank you." Ford says, still from his brothers embrace.  
"What do we do now?" Stan asks Mabel. She looks up at him.  
"If we leave now, their entire association with the circus will be ruined. We gotta stay, find a better tent."

They end up choosing a calm ride that takes them above the tent in a railing, and tilts back to look at the stars. After a while, Stan turns to Mabel.  
"Hey, kiddo. You were amazing back there. How did you know what to do?"  
"Dipper and I help each other out with nightmares. And I miiight have been studying psychology in my free time. It's kinda interesting." She shrugs. 

"Seems like I owe you another thanks, Mabel" Ford says. "You've protected your family again."  
"Nah, don't say that" Mabel waves him away, but does allow Ford to lift her up into his lap for a hug. Dipper scoots over and hugs her, too. Then they feel Stan's arms around them all.  
"What is this ride, anyway?" Stan asks.  
"I think it's called the Stargazer." Mabel says. "It looked calm enough"  
"It is calm." Ford says. Dipper nods.  
"They're really pretty tonight. The stars." Mabel says.  
And that they are. Both the stars in the sky, and the little shooting star that keeps them home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, so I have only had one (1) anxiety attack in my entire life. To be honest, it wasn't even that bad a one. But I do remember what it felt like and I tried to translate it into this fic. 
> 
> Ciara, thank you for inspiring me to write, and thank you for letting me tell this story to you.
> 
> Also, for the ones that have journeyed so far into the circus with the Pineses, thank you for reading this far.


	8. Something Lighter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Cloud Maze again: NOW WITH STAN!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the thanks to thedogzoo, for commenting! This chapter is for you! Hope you like it!

\--------

As the cart silently glides around the train tracks at the Stargazer, Mabel cautiously turns to Ford.  
"Grunkle Ford?"  
"Yes, Mabel?"  
"Would you… I mean, if you feel better… Would you like to go to the Cloud Maze again?"  
"I think that the Cloud Maze is the best idea right now, my dear. Stanley?"  
"I'm listenin"  
"Race you?"  
"UGGH. Do I have to?"  
"Well. If you think you can't do it…"  
"I NEVER SAID THAT. GET OFF THE RIDE. RIGHT NOW. WE'RE DOIN THIS."  
Ford smiled. Always the same.  
"Snacks, after Cloud Maze?" Dipper offered.  
"Sheesh, kid. Gettin' a growth spurt or what?" Grunkle Stan comments.  
"I dunno, man. I just… feel more achy and growy and less.. itchy?"  
"Welp. Less itchy is better." Stan grins  
"Definitely better." Mabel says. "And he's gotten WAAAY less smelly!"  
"Heh! That's true, too. Found a shower routine, Dips?"  
Dipper just shrugs.  
They got out of the cart and find a path to the Cloud Maze. 

 

As they wait for Dipper, who has to high-five Nate and Lee before he was allowed to continue, to catch up, Mabel turns to Stan and Ford, who stand there, looking bored. She watches her Grunkle Stans grin grow wider and wider. Ford glances over at his brother. His eyes widen.  
"Oh sh-" was all he has time for to say before Stan tackles him and hoists him up fireman style on his shoulder.  
"ALPHA TWIN!" Stan yelled, bouncing on his toes, jolting Ford up and down.  
"I - am - fifteen - minutes - older - than - you" Ford insists, as he bounces on his brothers shoulder.  
"DOES NOT MATTER! ALPHA TWIN! ALPHA TWIN!" Stan shouted, while Mabel laughs.  
"You think you're the Alpha Twin, Grunkle Stan? WATCH THIS!" she cheers, as she runs at full speed toward Dipper. He sees her coming, and knows what she is up to. He nods and smiles, ready for her. At the last moment, Mabel suddenly turns around and runs at Dipper backwards, a bit slower. Right before they collide, Dipper jumps up high in the air, and ends up sitting on her shoulders. They come to a standstill, and Dipper spreads his arms.  
"TADAAAH!!" They both yell, before shouting "ALPHA TWINS! ALPHA TWINS!" Dipper punching his fist in the air.  
A street vendor selling candy apples breaks out in spontaneous applause, and cheers. The first time they've every heard a vendor speak. The people in line applaud as well. Soos was right. Twins do make more money.  
Mabel carries Dipper back to their Grunkles, and they somehow manage to bow. Stan and Ford both clap as well, Ford having to look back around Stan's shoulder, but no less impressed. 

They walk into the tent, Mabel carrying Dipper, Stan carrying Ford, and they both set down their respective brothers.  
"How did you kids DO that?" Stan asks.  
Dipper and Mabel laugh.  
"We practised…" Mabel says.  
"… A LOT" Dipper finishes.  
"Took us a while though."  
"Hehe, yeah, we kept crashing and falling," Dipper says, grinning. "But now we can do it both! I can lift Mabel as well, but Mabel can do the running-turning things better." He adds.  
"And Dipper knows when to jump! But when we're standing still, and I'm on Dipper's shoulders, he is so balanced that I can stand up!" Mabel says.  
"Well, we gotta see that!" Stan says.  
"Your wish is our command," the younger set of Pine Twins say together. Mabel takes off her shoes.  
Dipper stands behind Mabel. Mabel puts her hands to her sides. Dipper lowers, takes her hands, and pushes upwards while she jumps. She ends up standing on his shoulders. They wiggle a bit, and then Mabel is balanced. She lifts her hands.  
"TA-DAAH!  
Everyone who had been watching claps. Ford cheers them.  
"That's pretty good, kiddo's! You should be joining this circus! We can SELL this!" Stan says.  
"Nah, we've got a circus of our own." Mabel says. "School has enough clowns!"  
"Well," Ford says, "At least you've got a head start!" He then picks Mabel up from Dippers shoulders, and sets her on one of the platforms of the Cloud Maze, clambering up himself.  
"YOU CHEATIN' SON OF A--! WAIT THERE, I'M COMIN' UP!"  
Stan picks up Dipper and tosses him to the platform. He then jumps up, and attempts to push Ford off. Ford, however, has even better balance than Dipper does, and just dodges him.  
"All right, all right," he says, holding up his hands in surrender. "How about we go together?"  
"Fine, but we're all takin' different sides of the maze. I don't want ya to help anyone like you did with Wendy. Every Pines for themselves!"  
"Fine, fine" Ford says, smiling. They all choose a corner of the maze, and Stan shouts "PINES GO!" 

Mabel seems to have chosen the worst route this time. She gets stuck on a platform, and has to go down again for another route.  
Dipper is faster, even without Wendy's friends to throw him, but somehow manages to get stuck on the exact same platform Mabel did.  
Stan is surprised how HIGH the maze is, and while he is not scared of heights anymore, he does feel it shake every now and then, which slightly reminds him of the time he had to save his niblings from falling to their deaths.  
And Ford can FINALLY go full-on Dimension Explorer without having to subconsciously look after Wendy. He makes it to the top of the maze three minutes before the others even start to see the top, and is leisurely drinking some lemonade from his flask as they make it to the top.  
"Alpha twiiiinnn…" he teases to Stanley, who is short of breath.  
"Yeah, yeah, Poindexter. You done good."  
"…did" Ford says  
"What did you say?"  
"Did. You did good. Or "have done well" would have worked. Grammar, Stanley"  
"Why you little-" Stan says, but smiles at his brother.  
"So you want to…" Ford asks, as he looks down  
"Hey Ford?" Stan calls.  
"Mm?" Ford answers, his eyes on the people in the ball pit at the bottom of the maze.  
"You remember 'Lion Hamlet'?"  
"The animated movie we watched in Norway?" Ford half-turns to face Stan.  
"Uh-huh. LONG LIVE THE KING" Stan shouts, and shoves his brother off the edge of the maze. Ford shouts and laughs as he falls.  
"AHAHAHAHA! WHO'S ALPHA TWIN NOW?" Stan yells after him.  
"Not me! I'll save you, Grunkle Ford!" Dipper shouts, and jumps off the maze after his Grunkle.  
"Remember to roll the dice for your landing, nerd!" Stan shouts. "AHAHAHAHA!" He and Mabel both laugh.  
"Well, kiddo. How d'you wanna go?" he asks, turning to his great-niece.  
"Nope! You first, Grunkle Stan! Show me that your fear of heights is over!"  
"HA! I AM INDESTRUCTABLE!!!" Stan shouts and does a run up and jumps over the edge.  
Mabel jumps right after him, angling her body so she catches up with him as he falls. He puts his arms around her and they both land in the soft ball pit. Dipper and Ford join them.Their call echoes through the maze: "PINES! PINES! PINES! PINES!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was actually planning to have them explore new tents, but what happened after last chapter, I just figured that they might like the Cloud Maze again for a while. Plus, I really wanted to do the Lion King thing with Stan and Ford.


	9. Wines and Wishes, Performances and Pools.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The family all go their separate ways for a couple of hours in the circus.

\--------  
After the food, they each decide to go their own ways for a couple of hours before meeting up at the bonfire again. Stan has expressed interest in checking out the winery, Dipper wants another look at the paper animals in the menagerie, Mabel has spotted a show with big cats and Ford would kind of like to be alone for a bit, after his experience in the Labyrinth. They all set their alarms for three hours, and take off through the tents. 

 

\--------Stan--------  
In the winery, Stan finally finds someone in the circus that actually talks. The man behind the bar explains all sorts about the various wines that are available, and even shows Stan some that aren't.  
"This is a redcurrant wine that is outlawed in 15 states! Including Texas!" The man says excitedly. Stan grins at him.  
"Sorry, pal. Still got your wine beat!" Stan says.  
"I'll get there!" The man says, turning it into a competition.  
"This whiskey is banned in 27?"  
"Nearly there!"  
"Well, this red wine is made with ghost peppers. It's illegal in 32 states…?"  
"BAM! You got it!"  
"Wow, 32?"  
"You're lookin' at it, pal!"  
"I'd actually love to offer you a sip of it. Shouldn't do that… I tried it once, and it cleared… well.. Let's not talk about that. You and this wine have so much in common, though…" the man hesitates.  
"BRING IT" Stan says, the biggest "give me your stuff" grin on his face, and the bartender concedes.  
Stan watches as the man takes out the smallest wine glass and sees the red liquid trickle into the glass. It's thicker than normal wine, almost syrupy…  
He takes a sip…

His sense of smell goes away completely, then comes back three times as sharp. His tongue goes numb, hanging limply in his mouth. His teeth rattle. His throat feels like either singing an opera or like swallowing itself into a black void of death. His eyes feel like the left one is larger than the right. A small plume of smoke comes from his mouth.  
"WOW" he rasps.  
The bartender just looks at him, stars in his eyes.  
"I know!" he says. "Toilet's over there." he adds, pointing behind him. 

 

\--------Dipper--------  
Opening his blue pine tree journal, Dipper begins to take notes on the many animals inside the tent. The common animals are first. He watches a cat defeat a scorpion and shred it. He observes the clockwork within. The base of the clockwork seems to revolve around a small piece of paper. A shem, he supposes. It might be that the creators of the paper animals have succeeded in creating a sort of paper golems, like the clay people in Jewish folklore.  
Dipper chews on his pen. 

"Oh, look, mom! A nightingale!" a voice echoes through the mist in the tent. He knows that voice. It used to sound rich and annoying. But since he made a sort-of-friendship with Pacifica Northwest, he guesses it just sounds rich.  
The Northwest Family emerge from the mist, Pacifica chasing a nightingale made of children's book pages.  
"Oh, Dipper! Hi!" Pacifica says, blushing slightly.  
"Hey Pacifica." Dipper says, smiling at her. "I'm trying to find out what makes these animals go"  
"Yeah, is it like, magic or something?" Pacifica asks.  
"Probably. Hello, Mr and Mrs. Northwest." he says, standing up and offering to shake their hands. They look at him with a mixture of disdain and awkwarness. The disdain probably comes from years and years of looking down at people. The awkwardness is probably because they were on the wrong side of the war in Weirdmageddon. Having all the orifices in ones face changed place usually teaches someone a slight humility. It just does that to a person.  
Just as it began to be completely awkward, Mrs. Northwest shakes Dipper's hand. It's too quick, and she doesn't look him in the eye, instead staring at Dipper's cap. But it's a start. Mr. Northwest tries to gain Pacifica's attention by loudly exclaiming that "Oh! I have NEVER seen anything like this before" and striding off. Mrs. Northwest follows her husband, Pacifica staying behind.

"Sorry about my parents. They're… trying" she says to Dipper, who nods.  
"Yeah… They treating you OK now?" he asks.  
"Kind of?" Pacifica says. "They've stopped using that… that.. well, that BELL on me. And they don't go off much anymore in the evenings. Sometimes I just hang out at Candy's place, or Grenda's. I sometimes help out at McGucket's Inn, since I know the place. My parents kinda lost their social status. But I can't say we've bonded much. I That is, until tonight. Apparently, they both like the circus a lot. As do I, to be honest. This place is amazing!" she says.  
"Yeah!" Dipper enthuses. "I can't believe how someone could do this! This must cost like- a fortune!"  
"I can't even begin to think how much. I can only say that my families entire fortune before.. That thing.. happened would have covered not even one quarter of the things I see here."  
"That is… actually very interesting information, Pacifica. I'm trying to research how the circus does all this"  
"No problem! Maybe you want to… check it out together one of these days? I can give you rough estimates on how expensive everything could be?"  
"..And then I might have a clue as to the proprietor! Let's do it!" Dipper says.  
"So… Monday night?" she asks.  
"Monday night." he agrees. Mabel was already planning on spending Monday night with Candy and Grenda, so he's happy he found a mystery again.

"Oh, by the way, on your way back to your family, check out the tent next door. It's really… something" Pacifica says, before she goes to rejoin her parents. 

 

Curious, Dipper exits the tent and goes to the one next door. When he enters, it feels warmer. Even warmer than the spring air.  
In the middle of a tent there is a large black tree, full of white candles. There are some bare spots but every single candle is lit, with a shining white flame like the one in the bonfire. He goes back outside, and finds a sign. 

_The Wishing Tree_

Back inside, he sees a box with candles. White candles, like the ones on the tree. It doesn't need any explanation.  
He takes a pure white candle from the black box, and lights it on a fading candle already in the tree. He puts his candle on an empty spot, closes his eys, and makes his wish…

 

 

\--------Mabel--------  
Mabel enters the ring of chairs around the base of the Cat-Masters. She is still grinning about the sign at the tent flap, warning about allergies.  
The tent looks like a standard circus ring, but with a simple white picket fence around the dangerous animals. It's not a safety hazard, it's a fun hazard, she thinks to herself, smiling even more widely. There is a big pole in the middle of the tent, plus some sort of obstacle course. The cats are already on display. Sleek black panthers, strong-looking black and white snow leopards, a silver-colored cat with swirling markings she doesn't recognise, and a pure white lion. 

She's not the only one in the ring of chairs. She looks around and sees Robbie and Tambry, holding hands and waving at her. She sees Fiddleford McGucket, taking notes in a notebook about the biggest black panther, no doubt designing a new robot. She sees some of the boys she had a temporary crush on (Gabe brought his puppets and the turtle-boy seems to have acquired a second turtle). And she is the first to see the Cat-Master stepping into the ring. As she begins to clap, others join her. The Cat-Master takes a polite bow, then sweeps back his hand to introduce his co-artist. Mabel supposes she is probably his wife. They wear coordinating black and white outfits. She bows too, and then the show begins. The tent flap closes, and the lights go down, save from the spotlights of the cats, and, oddly, small lights under each seat. Then the light under the seats begin to move. 

She gasps as two small paws land on her lap. A black-and-white cat striped like a tiger settles down on her sweater, purring up a storm.  
"I hope you all like cats, ladies and gentlemen!" the Cat-Lady says. "For what better way to watch a cat show than with a cat!"  
The audience claps again. Some cheers are thrown into the applause.  
"Everyone comfy? Humans? Cats?" The Cat-Master asks. "Then let. Us… BEGIN!"  
With that, he bows and the silver-colored cat jumps onto his back. He disappears into mist, but the cat remains. The cat leaps up onto the pole, and climbs to the top. At the very top, he jumps down and vanishes before hitting the ground.  
Then starts a complete show of the cats, with them running the obstacle course, chasing animals, doing tricks and flips, and, as always, jumping through a hoop of fire. At the finale, the kittens on everyone's lap jump into the ring and make a shape on the floor. A huge, black-and-white cat, licking its paw. Mabel's kitten is the tip of the twitching tail. 

At the end of the show, the smoke rises, the cats go backstage, and the people file out.  
Mabel remains in her seat, however. The show was amazing, but what about the cats? She has had enough experience with the boys of Sev'ral Timez to know that nothing should be caged. The cat lady, still in the ring, smiles and waves her over. She puts her fingers to her mouth and whistles. The silver-colored cat with the swirling markings appears from backstage and goes over to her.  
"I bet you're wondering why we won't let these animals run free?" she asks. Her accent is vaguely odd, Chinese, maybe.  
Mabel nods. "I've had my experience with trapped things and letting them free.." she says.  
"I see.." the woman says. "Come closer. Orion, open up!"  
With that, the silver-colored cat opens its mouth. The Cat-lady takes a little flashlight from her pocket and shines it into the cat's mouth. The inside is made of clockwork, the same that powered the animals in the Menagerie, and possibly the carousel. The lady has the cat close it's mouth again and smiles at Mabel, who breathes a sigh of relief.  
"The only real cats here are the kittens" the woman explains. "We get them from animal shelters wherever we travel. When we travel on, we make little posters for them as a favour to the shelters. It's free commercials for them. The cats usually get adopted within a month of us leaving. It's a way to take the circus home with you. Though I see you're already doing that. Your sweater is beautiful." the Cat-Lady says.  
"Thank you!" Mabel says. "For the show, and the explaining. Oh, and for the compliment, of course!" She hugs the befuddled Cat-Lady, who murmurs a "No, thank YOU". Then Mabel goes outside to find her family. 

 

\--------Ford--------  
Ford wanders around a while, nibbling on his now favourite edible-paper candy. He sees a sign of a fortune-teller, but chooses to ignore it. He meets Wendy and her gang, who are once again on their way to their favourite tent, the Cloud Maze. They all give him High-Sixes. Huh. Those kids seem to get a kick out of meeting someone with hands like his. He rather likes it.  
A tent advertises something called The Drawing Room. His interest piqued, he goes in.  
The inside of the tent is completely covered in chalkboard paint. There are buckets and buckets of chalk lining the walls, and the walls are covered in writing. Some have only left their name, or a doodle of themselves. He smiles when he sees Fiddleford's drawing of the ShackTron. He also recognises Soos's style, a portrait of Melody. Lazy Susan has doodled a simple drawing of two eyes, one permanently closed in a cheeky wink. All sort of art styles are combined into the walls, somehow making a whole. He decides to add to the wall. But what? He traces his hand, first. That's not enough. He settles down, and begins to write in cursive…  
"Once upon a time…"  
When his story is finished, he looks proudly at the wall. His story binds together all of the drawings into a tale. He hopes someone likes it.  
He walks out of the tent, and turns some corners at random. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a small tent, hidden in plain sight. Approaching it, he sees the tent is labeled, like all the others.

 _The Pool of Tears_

Underneath the sign, there is a basket containing smooth black rocks. The words under the sign instruct him to take one with him into the tent.  
He does.

While the other tents are all crowded, this one is completely empty.  
Its walls are black, the ceiling covered with open black umbrellas, the curved handles pointing down. In the center of the room there is a small round pond. A small round pool, within a black wall, surrounded by white gravel. The air around smells salty, like the ocean.  
The only light in the room comes from the pond. It's a shimmering, soft light. Just enough for Ford to see by. He walks over to the little wall, the gravel crunching beneath his feet. The light in the pool is filtered by the black stones within. The same stone Ford holds in his hand. He sits on the wall, turning his stone over and over in his fingers. The shimmering of the pool makes it look as though the entire tent is underwater. The stillness of the tent somehow becomes a quiet melancholy. It feels as though the weight of his life slowly settles on Ford's shoulders. Memories shuffle their way forward to the front of his mind. The loss of his brother. The nights in his lab in Gravity Falls, wondering why he was even there. The dark nights of his time in the Portal, where nothing would stir and he would be free to weep. How lost he felt when he embraced Stan in that meadow. Past wounds long forgotten mingle with fresh sorrows. Lost causes, lost chances. Heartbreaks and pain and terrible, terrible loneliness.  
The stone feels heavier in his hands. He turns around and drops it in the pool. It makes a ripple.  
As he watches it sink, the world is.. softer, somehow. It makes more sense. Cipher is dead. His family is safe.  
Ford feels somehow lighter as he walks back to the courtyard.  
As though he released more than a smooth, polished rock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write Ford's experience with the pool so much, I had them all go off alone and have adventures. 
> 
> And that concludes the tents that are already in the book!  
> From now on, we journey to the strange and mysterious realms that is My Brain.  
> MUAHAAHAHAHAH  
> Nah, it'll be fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you like it! Comments? Questions? Tent requests? Let me know!  
> 


End file.
